


When The Sun Rises

by DEx Hooker (FangBanger)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2843705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangBanger/pseuds/DEx%20Hooker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's known her long enough for three Christmas Eves to pass. All were notable in their own way: good and not so good, yet all a part of their path to happiness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: When the Sun Rises
> 
> Part: 1/3
> 
> Author: Roguie
> 
> Fandom: Once Upon a Time
> 
> Characters: Killian/Emma, Charmings, Henry, Regina.
> 
> Rating: K+
> 
> Spoilers: Not really. Most of this is its own head canon verse.
> 
> Summary: He's known her long enough for three Christmas Eves to pass. All were notable in their own way: good and not so good, yet all a part of their path to happiness.
> 
> Disclaimer: OuaT isn't mine. If it were we'd not be on three month hiatuses every other three months. Oh, and Hook and Emma would have long dissolved their UST and be living happily ever after in a little beach house taking over a quiet corner of Storybrooke for themselves. Just saying.
> 
> A/N: This is written entirely. The first part I'm posting now. The second part I'll post before I hit bed tonight. The third part I'll post when I wake in the morning. Since I didn't intend to write today and my muse kind of ran away with this, you get a 5000 word Christmas present. Surprise! And… pure fluff, not a smut fairy to be seen. Although… give us 30 reviews over the 3 chapters and I'll see if the muse is willing to provide a smutty little epilogue. Yeah, I'm not opposed for begging for my very own Christmas love. ;D Enjoy – and Merry Christmas!

~~~?~~~

The first Christmas he spent in the presence of Emma Swan was not something either of them would care to remember. Christmas wasn't something widely celebrated in the Enchanted Forest. Oh sure, he'd heard tales of a fat man in a sleigh delivering parts of his plunder to villagers across the realms, but it wasn't a story into which he'd put much stock. That first December 24th spent in the realm without magic, he'd spent behind bars, the blonde temptress he'd followed across realms behind her desk only a few measly feet away, barely containing her contempt for his presence as she grumbled into a luke warm hot chocolate brought to her by her doting father.

Rather than be a model prisoner, barely understanding the concept of the holiday much less its importance to the young woman who'd never had a family on such days, he'd pushed and poked at her, his verbal wit cutting and true, regretting his words only when her beautiful green eyes had grown wistful and misty before she'd turned her back on him and locked herself away into the sheriff's office where his words could no longer reach. The guilt had chewed at him through the night as she was forced to remain in the building because of him. She'd brought him food at appropriate times, she'd taken him to relieve himself and given him privacy that he'd not expected or deserved. Her kindness towards him and respect for her duties never wavered even as he watched her eyes grow more and more dim as the night grew longer. When she took a muted phone call from her boy, followed by one from her mother where upon she refused to leave her prisoner alone no matter how much he deserved his punishment, his own shoulders had sagged forward and he buried his face in his hand, the remorse for the trouble he'd caused her heavy enough to curve his spine with weight, leaving his throat dry and his eyes burning suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, Swan," he murmured finally, the honesty of his apology ringing through even as he refused to meet her sad green eyes with his now equally as tortured blue.

He'd expected nothing more than a grunt to acknowledge his rare apology, instead he'd heard the click of the lock to his cage and a warm hand covered his own.

"Thank you," she murmured in return.

She walked out of the cell and sat down behind the deputy's desk once again, cocking her head to the side when his eyes were fail to do anything but follow her every movement. He moved cautiously towards her, noting the deck of cards and bowl of peanuts she'd set upon the table top.

"Are we playing a game, love?" he asked, quietly, hesitatingly settling into the chair across from her.

"Probably more than one," she muttered beneath her breath, but he caught her words anyway. "It's just cards, Hook, don't read anything into it."

He bit back the immediate retort that threatened to shatter the small bridge she'd built between them, and rather reached into the bowl of peanuts, popping a handful into his mouth, chuckling as she stretched out to slap his hand away from the salty treats.

"Hey! Watch it! That's our betting pot that you're chowing down on!"

"Apologies, lass, I've never bet with an edible reward before. They're quite good."

She chuckled softly, "Yep, that's why we bet with them. Winner gets to eat the pot."

He offered her a flourished little hand movement before settling back and picking up the cards she'd dealt him, eying them with suspicion. "Then far be it from me to hold up the game. Are there any further rules to which I should be aware? Or is eating the betting pool the only frowned upon action in our match?"

"It's poker, Hook; I assume you've heard of that?"

"You assume correctly, m'lady."

"Then quit stalling and put your nuts where your mouth is."

It took him a long moment of trying to wrestle unexpected guffaws of laughter into a quiet chuckle. It took an even longer moment to convince his mouth not to spew forth the suggestive commentary about his nuts and how of the two people in the room, it's not his mouth he'd like upon them. Finally, with highly concentrated moves, he glanced down at his cards and tossed a few nuts into the center of the desk.

"Your move, Swan," he murmured softly, because truly it always was.

She gave him the softest smile he'd ever seen curve her lips and his heart thumped painfully in response, stealing his breath for the quickest of moments. "Merry Christmas, Hook."

"Merry Christmas, love."

Neither of them slept that night; they played cards until dawn, laughing and fighting over the last of the peanuts to bet just as the sun broke the horizon on a blustery, snowy Christmas Day. They parted ways just after, Killian returning alone to his ship at the docks, Emma returning home to the arms of her family waiting to celebrate the holiday for the first time together.

He regretted tearing her from them in the first place, but he couldn't find the will to regret the night spent in her company. Quietly, he promised himself that would be the last night he'd spend confined to her jail cell. That night he'd discovered there were other, far more pleasurable ways to spend time with Emma Swan. He could hardly wait to experience them all for himself.

~~~?~~~

Merry Christmas, everyone, and remember much like magic, all muses come with a price. This muse's price is that little box down below. Please don't make her chase you today, it is Christmas after all. Even muse's need time with their families.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: When the Sun Rises
> 
> Part: 2/3  
> Author: Roguie
> 
> Fandom: Once Upon a Time
> 
> Characters: Killian/Emma, Charmings, Henry, Regina.
> 
> Rating: K+
> 
> Spoilers: Not really. Most of this is its own head canon verse.
> 
> Summary: He's known her long enough for three Christmas Eves to pass. All were notable in their own way: good and not so good, yet all a part of their path to happiness.
> 
> Disclaimer: OuaT isn't mine. If it were we'd not be on three month hiatuses every other three months. Oh, and Hook and Emma would have long dissolved their UST and be living happily ever after in a little beach house taking over a quiet corner of Storybrooke for themselves. Just saying.
> 
> A/N: *yawn*. The third part I'll post when I wake in the morning. Since I didn't intend to write today and my muse kind of ran away with this, you get a 5000 word Christmas present. Surprise! And… pure fluff, not a smut fairy to be seen. Although… give us 30 reviews over the 3 chapters and I'll see if the muse is willing to provide a smutty little epilogue. Yeah, I'm not opposed for begging for my very own Christmas love. ;D Enjoy – and Merry Christmas!

~~~?~~~

The second Christmas he spent in the presence of Emma Swan, only one of them would remember and he'd much rather forget.

When Regina had explained to him the depths of the spell she'd cast upon Emma, he'd laughed in her face. Evil Queen she may be, but if nothing else, Snow White and Prince Charming had proved time and again that Regina's magic was nothing when faced with the power of love.

He knew it was love in Neverland. When she'd layered her lips across his, stealing his breath, his energy, his very soul with the gentle press of sweet, soft flesh against him, he'd known in that very moment that his heart no longer belonged to Milah. The sharp pang of guilt he felt the moment he released his long dead beloved from the clinging of his heart was nothing compared to the realization that he'd fallen in love with the blonde, firecracker of a princess who fought him at every turn. Emma had bloody near knocked him to his arse with a single, sweet little kiss that released all the emotion he'd not let his heart or mind acknowledge. He'd said as much on that blasted bridge in front of her family and the man who should have been her true love. She'd taken his words to heart, but given him no hope as to where their paths would lead. Only when he spoke the words his heart demanded as he let her walk away from him, as he let her forget him, only then did she allow him a sliver of hope that she welcomed his heart.

As such, he ignored Regina's warnings that his princess would never remember him, that nothing he could do would break that, and with the help of a lovely mermaid, he traveled the realms between them, only to find himself back in that blasted city of New York. With no ship in harbor this time and only twenty four hours to find his Swan or lose his return trip to the Enchanted Forest, he set out into the cold night on the impossible adventure of finding one person amongst millions.

It was the boy he found first, traveling in a pack of other boys, carrying skates across his shoulder, a bag across his back, and a little bag from an antiques shop in his hand. Killian followed the boys at a distance, envying the freedom of Henry's laughter and the easy camaraderie he'd found with the group of lads as they trudged through the biting wind and fresh snowfall. Relief bled from Killian's body as Henry broke from the group, waving them off, wishing them a Merry Christmas before disappearing through the gates of an apartment building.

He'd found her. Against all odds, he'd found her.

He slipped through the gates behind the boy, following him into the building, creeping quietly up the stairs and hiding in the dark shadows as he watched Henry slip his key into a door and disappear inside. It wasn't until he felt the sharp cut of a knife against the soft flesh of his throat that he realized he'd not been quite as stealthy as he'd thought. His heart beat a frantic rhythm, his eyes lighting up with not fear but pure joy as he breathed in the scent of her all around him.

"Mind telling me why you're following the kid?"

He'd never paid attention to the dangerous cut of her voice in the past and he wasn't about to start now. With a quick flick of his hook he pulled the knife away from his throat, turning in her arms to grin down at his beautiful Swan.

"Pirate, love. I was just following the trail to the treasure at the end."

"Hmm, and I suppose there is a giant black X marked over my apartment door?"

His smirk was lopsided as he drank in the sight of her, the broken pieces of his soul falling instantly into place as he lost himself in the sea of her green eyes.

"Hardly, lass, if there had been then I'd not have had to follow the lad, now would I?"

It was the press of her taser that finally darkened the glow of his eyes, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion as he looked down at the weapon he'd only had the displeasure of experiencing once, but would never forget.

"Come now, Swan, the weapon is unnecessary, it's not as though I'm about to hurt you."

"And I would know that exactly how? Let's walk through this, shall we?" Her grin was cold as she pushed the weapon deeper against his ribs, her finger edging dangerously across the button that would send three hundred volts of electricity through his body. "I follow my kid from a distance because this is New York City and I'm not losing him to the sickos and freaks out there but need to give him a sense of freedom, so he doesn't know I'm there. About half way between the skating rink and our home, I notice a stranger lay eyes upon him, following him the entire way back to our apartment. Now, for a second I can put aside the ridiculous pirate garb, but that hook you're sporting? I see that as a weapon."

"As well you should, love; many a man has seen the sharp end of that hook."

"Not helping your case, buddy," she mutters, pushing him out of the stairwell and into the hallway with not so gentle pressure from the taser. "So, while I set aside the clothing that should be a reason to put you into a padded cell, I can't get past the hook, or the fact that this armed stranger has now followed my son into my home."

"I meant him no harm, Swan, I swear it."

"This complete stranger, someone I've never met a single day in my life, with a hook for a hand, that inexplicably knows my name. This is not putting me at ease, in fact, this is making me more and more nervous, and when I get nervous, my finger gets nervous." She jabbed at him with the taser again, turning in the hallway to put her back to her apartment door.

"Emma, love…"

"Again, not helping, bud."

Killian drew in a deep, slow breath as he struggled to control the frantic, panicked beat of his heart. There had to be a way around Regina's spell, this couldn't be the end of them.

"My name's not bud, Swan, it's Killian Jones and you bloody well know that."

Ignoring the weapon pressed to his ribs, he wound his fingers into her hair, knocking her woolen cap from her head as he pulled her to him, layering his lips across hers, stealing her breath from her lungs and replacing it with his own as he stepped closer, groaning softly into her skin.

He heard her whimper quietly a moment before the world spun around him, white light danced behind his closed eyes, his entire body locking tight with Emma in his arms as he began trembling uncontrollably.

Only when his body fell backwards into the hall did he finally understand what had happened. The sensation that he had first attributed to the blinding power behind true love's kiss spread across his body in an inexplicable radiating agony as she released him into his fall, the still sparking taser in her hand.

"Because it's Christmas Eve, I'm going to let you pick yourself up off the floor and walk out of this building with every body part still attached. Once I close this door behind me I'll be calling the cops. That'll give you about five minutes to get the hell out of my hallway and the hell out of my life before they get here and haul your sorry, perving ass out the door. Your choice, buddy. Merry Christmas."

Knowing Emma as well as he did, he doubted that she would call the local authorities, but rather than tempt fate, he did as she requested, dragging his aching body out into the cold night. Rather than return to the harbor where the little mermaid would be waiting for him to arrive in only a few hours, he climbed the outside of the building next to Emma's, pulling his coat tight around him to ward off the cruel winds, and watched silently through her windows as she and Henry settled down for a quiet Christmas Eve.

He didn't sleep a wink that night, watching over them long after they fell asleep around the Christmas Tree, Emma on the sofa, Henry on the floor, wrapping paper strewn across the room as though a great storm had ripped through the apartment one moment while he'd blinked.

When he returned to the docks the next day, he couldn't bring himself to spare the mermaid a word, just a small sad smile as he shook his head. Her eyes reflected his own sadness as she took his hand and led him into the depths of the freezing waters, but she spared him any comment as she took him back to what would forever be his home.

As he dragged himself aboard the Jolly, running a loving hand along her enchanted wood before disappearing into the cabin that had been his home for centuries, he wondered what it was about this day that people wanted to celebrate. All it had done for him was remind him exactly how alone in this world he truly was.

He rubbed his hand across his chest as his heart ached painfully, reminding him again how battered the poor organ had been over the years, this year just another in a long line of failures to find happiness. A small, sad sigh broke his lips as he laid down upon the familiar bed and closed his eyes against the sunlight that streamed through his cabin window.

"Merry Christmas, love."

~~~?~~~

Merry Christmas, everyone, and remember much like magic, all muses come with a price. This muse's price is that little box down below. Please don't make her chase you today, it is Christmas after all. Even muse's need time with their families.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: When the Sun Rises
> 
> Part: 3/3
> 
> Author: Roguie
> 
> Fandom: Once Upon a Time
> 
> Characters: Killian/Emma, Charmings, Henry, Regina.
> 
> Rating: K+
> 
> Spoilers: Not really. Most of this is its own head canon verse.
> 
> Summary: He's known her long enough for three Christmas Eves to pass. All were notable in their own way: good and not so good, yet all a part of their path to happiness.
> 
> Disclaimer: OuaT isn't mine. If it were we'd not be on three month hiatuses every other three months. Oh, and Hook and Emma would have long dissolved their UST and be living happily ever after in a little beach house taking over a quiet corner of Storybrooke for themselves. Just saying.
> 
> A/N: This is written entirely. Good morning and welcome to the third and final part of When the Sun Rises – also known as my muse's Christmas gift to me for 2014. The challenge remains, give us 30 reviews over the 3 chapters and I'll see if the muse is willing to provide a smutty little epilogue. Yeah, I'm not opposed for begging for my very own Christmas love. ;D Enjoy – and Merry Christmas!

~~~?~~~

The third Christmas he spent in the presence of Emma Swan, he finally understood the draw to the holiday. Laughter echoed around them at Granny's, her family piled in the booth around them. Mary Margaret sat perched upon David's lap, baby Neal in his carrier taking up a good chunk of one half of the booth as everyone stopped by to dote on him. The table was piled high with cups of coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, and brightly wrapped gifts. Henry sat in a corner, stuffing cookies into his mouth as if they were endangered, talking around crumbs in such an unprincely manner that the Queen, who sat next to him, rolled her eyes in grave distaste as his grandparents and birth mother laughed at his antics.

With no space available to place him when Killian arrived, Emma moved from the stool she'd been sat upon and gestured for him to take her place. He brushed a gentle hand across her back as he passed her by, settling into the warmth she left behind on the stool. They'd grown more and more comfortable with each other as the last year passed, sharing sweet kisses that had grown more and more physically tormenting each time they grew deeper. He'd yet to bed his beautiful princess as they moved forward together slowly, a thought that was never far from his mind though he'd agreed to move at her pace. Publicly, they'd been very reserved; they'd been caught a time or two sharing heated glances or gentle touches, and their dates had been public enough that their growing relationship was nothing secret, but the private moments they shared between them? Those they saved for times without an audience. Her parents stairwell had seen more than its fair share of kisses and heated passes of fingers over warm skin; the hall in front of his room at Granny's had seen perhaps even more. The night she'd returned his heart to his chest he'd very nearly taken her against the door, pressing into her with a need so strong and a love so overwhelming that for a moment he'd lost control and she'd done nothing to discourage his actions. Only the voice of her boy calling up the stairs for her attention put space between them, and since that day he'd taken every care possible to ensure he'd not slip again. Every care possible. Every time he knew he'd be in a position to have a moment alone with the woman who held his heart in every way but physically.

As such, when she mirrored her mother and slipped onto his lap, her hand slipping under the short leather coat he'd taken to wearing, her fingers brushing over the muscles of his back, her warm lips pressed to his in greeting as she settled against him and then immediately went back to the conversation he'd interrupted with his arrival, the expression on his face had nothing to do with the immediate reaction of his body to her settling into his lap and more to do with the public display of them that she was putting on for every single person in her life that mattered.

He swallowed thickly, hand and hook lying limply at his sides as he considered what he was supposed to do with them, nervous eyes rising to take in the expressions of those around them. The prince's jaw hardened but a quick sigh softened his expression, and a cold, unopened beer was passed across the table to the pirate holding his daughter. Mary Margaret's expression wasn't difficult to read through misty eyes and the wistful smile that curved her lips. The lad barely spared them a glance, the roll of his eyes shared with the Queen herself in no way missed by the pirate, but he'd take that over awkwardness or open hostility any day. He'd win the lad over at some point, perhaps when they managed to get his mother settled with Robin Hood properly, perhaps then some of the pressure would be lifted from Killian's shoulders.

While Emma opened the bottle of beer for him, Killian curved his bad arm around her waist, the cool metal of his hook resting against her stomach as he quietly listened to the conversation around them. He was surprised when Emma moved from his lap a mere hour later, picking up a bag stuffed overfull with presents, leaning across Regina to kiss Henry on the forehead.

"Merry Christmas, kid," she grinned down at him before handing the bag of gifts to Killian and turning to give the same kiss to her brother, father and mother.

"Emma, it's barely nine, why are you leaving so early?" Mary Margaret's sad voice gave his princess pause for a moment before she shrugged and grinned at her mother.

"I have other gifts to give, Mom," she murmured quietly, flicking her eyes over to Killian and then back to her mother pointedly. "Ones I'd prefer to give alone."

The sudden, sharp giggle that escaped her mother's mouth caught the attention of her father, and the prince's piercing gaze narrowed in on the pirate standing just slightly out of the conversation.

Killian cleared his throat, his discomfort visible as he backed slightly further away from the table. "Um, Your Highness, Charmings, Henry – I bid you all quite the Merry Christmas. Swan, um, I'll just stow this in your vessel while you make your goodnights, then?"

The flash of Mary Margaret's camera caught him by surprise, and Killian found himself staring at her in disbelief as the royal merely grinned at him, wagged her eyebrows and shrugged, brushing off the sharp cry of, "Mom!" that escaped Emma as the entire table broke into fresh laughter.

"Now, Emma, give a mother her fun on Christmas Eve, will you? I just wanted to take a picture of Hook now, while he was still afraid of your father's glare."

Killian cleared his throat once more, shaking his head as the amusement helped bleed the new tension from his body. "Alas, m'lady, I fear you've wasted your time and your device taking that photograph tonight, as I assure you, I will eternally be utterly terrified of your dear husband's glare."

"Damn straight you will be." Charming grumbled good naturedly.

"Eh, it loses its strength as he gets older," Mary Margaret winked at Killian and Emma as his princess shook her head and gave her mother another kiss, ignoring Henry's confused questions.

"What did I miss?"

"Your bedtime, kid. Have a good night at Regina's."

The suddenly understanding snicker that came from her teenager made her jaw drop in surprise and the entire table burst out into a new gale of uproarious laughter. "Yeah, sure, mom, have a good night with Killian."

"Are you kidding me right now? No! It's enough I get this from the rest of you, but my own kid? No. That's it, bud; all your gifts are going back."

"Aw, c'mon, Mom, you wouldn't do that after the year we've had. You wouldn't want me to be disappointed at Christmas... y'know, after changing schools, finding out everything I believed in was fake, almost being killed by the wicked witch of the west, almost being erased from history and well, finding out your mom is dating Captain Hook…"

"Guilt, emotional blackmail, and pointing out the obvious? You learn quick, kid," Emma grumbled good-naturedly, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "We'll see everyone for breakfast back at the loft."

"With presents?"

"Yeah, yeah. Regina, I blame you for this."

Everyone was surprised by the Queen's amused chuckle. "Believe me, Miss Swan; I blame myself every time he backs me into a corner. The joys of motherhood are unending."

"Hey, when did this become a pick on Henry conversation?" The boy gave them all an exaggerated pout, his sparkling brown eyes belying any hurt his voice may have portrayed.

"The moment you chose to join this very adult conversation, kid." Emma grinned at the table one last time before turning to leave.

"Emma," her father's voice stopped her from moving forward, and she sighed softly.

"David, I swear to god if you tell me to be safe…"

He winced and chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Be happy. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, dad."

With that final word said, Emma disappeared through the doorway, holding her laughter in check until she fell into Killian's open arms where he waited against the door of her car.

"Jesus, that was interesting," she laughed through the kisses she pressed against his jaw, burying her face into the crook of his neck as he chuckled along with her.

"I could think of better ways to announce our physical relationship to an entire group of your closest friends and family, love, but I thought not to correct your path at the time."

She giggled uncontrollably, shaking her head, a deep blush warming her skin. "Oh, my god, that was not my intent at the time, and then my mother… Jesus, that got away from me!"

"As long as you have no intentions of getting away from me tonight, Swan, I have no issues with the way the evening has progressed thus far."

"Change my intentions after living through that conversation? Yeah, not gonna happen, buddy. I have plans for you, pirate."

"Then consider me at your mercy, Princess, for I shall endeavor to fulfill your every want or need as the night progresses."

Emma dropped her voice to a sultry level, dragging a soft finger down the open v-neck of his shirt, curving her lips into a soft smile against his throat as she darted her tongue out to swiftly taste the salt of his skin. "Really? My every want or need? Are you sure about that, Killian?"

"Gods, yes, love. I can assure you that I harbor not a single doubt." The words rushed out of him on a breathless moan, the beat of his heart strong and fast under her touch.

"The list could be long. It could take all night. Are you up for all night, Killian?"

"Emma?"

"Hmm," she hummed against his skin, her fingers drifting dangerously lower, across his stomach, settling to brush just lightly over the zipper of the brand new black jeans he wore loose across his hips.

"Take an old pirate home, lass. I love you more than I've loved anything, living or not, in all the centuries of my life. Should you want nothing more of me tonight than to unpack the dozen boxes I know still sit in your new resting area unattended, than I shall be your willing slave. A night spent in your presence is enough of a gift to an old heart that has only just learned to beat again, love, and to wake tomorrow to the sight of you is all I could ever want or need."

Tears clouded her eyes as she pushed away from her pirate, keeping her head turned from him while she unlocked the car door and slipped behind the wheel, reaching across the seats to open the passenger door for him. She waited without word while he settled himself into the car beside her, silently struggling to get her emotions under control. Finally, she looked up at him, no longer hiding her tears, but broadcasting mischief as her eyes danced happily.

"How about the sight of me naked?"

Killian choked back his laughter, his head bouncing against the headrest on his seat as his body shook, the curve of his lips lightening his face and bleeding away all trace of tension and uncertainty his body had held. For that single moment in time, her pirate was completely and utterly happy.

"I stand corrected, love. A naked you trumps any and all wants or needs that have ever been thought or could ever be thought."

Her thoughts instantly turned to the scarlet red lingerie set she wore under her normal jeans and shirt combination. She had a feeling that before the night was over, he'd stand corrected one more time.

"Merry Christmas, Killian," she murmured softly, a smile gracing her own features as his blue eyes met her green, adoringly.

"Merry Christmas, love," he murmured back, just as quietly.

She turned the car onto the road and steered in the direction of her new apartment, feeling no trace of panic, having no second thoughts, knowing only the excitement and anticipation of taking a new step in the right direction.

She was finally, finally happy.

~~~Fin~~~

Merry Christmas, everyone, and remember much like magic, all muses come with a price. This muse's price is that little box down below. Please don't make her chase you today, it is Christmas after all. Even muse's need time with their families.


End file.
